Gold Filled Leather Works

Our workshop is over at Gold Filled Plaza, right on the Sion-Bandra Link Road. If you know the Gold Filled Compound in Andheri, that’s where you’ll find us at number 36. It’s a busy spot. You can usually smell the leather before you even walk through the door. It’s a heavy, earthy scent that stays on your clothes. We’ve been working with hides here for years. The machines are loud, especially when the stitching gets going. We have a few guys who have been with us since the beginning, their hands are calloused from the tools. It’s not a quiet office. There's always the sound of cutting or someone hammering a rivet. The floor usually has scraps of leather and thread everywhere. We try to keep it tidy but it’s a working shop. Being near the link road makes it easy for the trucks to come and go, though getting in and out of Andheri traffic is a daily struggle for all of us. Making bags or belts or whatever is needed that day. It’s honest work. Sometimes we sit out in the compound during break time just to get some fresh air. It’s a bit dusty but it’s our space. The Gold Filled Compound has been around forever. It feels like its own little village inside Andheri. We share the space with other workshops, so there’s always someone moving a trolley or shouting for a delivery driver. Our unit, number 36, is tucked back a bit. We have these old benches where the leather gets stretched and treated. We’ve seen the link road get wider and noisier over the years. We just keep our heads down and work on the leather. If a customer comes in, they usually have to step over a few scraps to get to the counter.